Together We'll Break These Chains of Love
by Alex L. Kerr
Summary: "'HOLD MY HAND' Sam yelled, laughing so hard he was gasping." Light-hearted (and then intense) h/c gen fic, set in the beginning of S4.
1. Chapter 1

Sam stared down at the leather bound book, open to the passage of Latin necessary to speak aloud during the ritual. He was nervous, knowing this was something of a gamble but more really because it was an awkward spell to complete with one's brother. Two dudes, even if they were brothers, performing a bonding spell felt weird: they expressed affection through punches and insults, not... not this...

But hey it wouldn't kill them and they were saving two idiots by doing it. That'd have to be enough.

Sam quirked a smile, thinking about the fact that he hadn't totally filled Dean in on all the spell's specifics. As much as Dean was willing to do what had to be done to, "hunt things and save people," Sam had omitted a couple aspects for two reasons. One, so that Dean would agree to it (given that they really were the only solution) and two, so Sam could laugh. Even now he had to hold back a smile in anticipation of Dean's reaction to the ritual's requirements. That is, if his big brother could first get past the fact that they had to do this at the town's local Lover's Lane.

Even Sam was a little embarrassed about that detail actually. He thanked God no other star-crossed teenagers had pulled up to the spot yet. Hopefully it'd stay that way.

He gazed out over the cliff: the coastal New England village's cobblestone streets and restaurants had just lit up below as dusk came on. Beyond, the panoramic view of the quaint town lay the harbor and further on the Atlantic ocean glittered under sun down. Sam sighed and shrugged to himself, acknowledging that it was quite beautiful. He would've taken a high school sweetheart here.

He _wouldn't_ have cast a bonding spell with her.

Sam idly wondered if teenagers these days were just bored or stupid and settled on a little bit of both.

He and Dean were about to break the bonding spell that a teenaged couple had foolishly set upon themselves. The first couple that did this had both dropped dead immediately after their break-up.

The visit to the morgue had been ridiculous. The first couple had died at the same time in the same way: spontaneous heart ruptures. Dean's expression had been priceless.

"So. They both died of... broken... hearts?" Dean had asked, trying to keep a straight face. The pathologist didn't see the humor in it. _Too soon_,_ Dean_, Sam had thought before the man responded with a dull affirmative.

"Must've been one hell of a break up," Dean had added, smirking at Sam who'd rolled his eyes. It was admittedly cliche and definitely worth a laugh... _outside_ the morgue.

Nobody was laughing when Sam figured out how to break the spell though. He'd been researching at the table in the motel room when he'd found it.

"Dean! Got it," Sam announced and Dean stopped cleaning the guns on the bed to look up.

"What?"

Sam continued to read the passage more closely in silence and held off on answering his brother.

"Sam?"

Sam started cringing as he read, realization dawning.

"Uh, okay," he trailed off, "so..."

Dean waited expectantly. Sam sighed.

"Ohhh kay... so um... we need two subjects to do the ritual that'll break the spell..."

"Subjects, as in people?"

"Yeah. They need to... uh... care about each other so much that a bonding ritual would be redundant..." Sam hedged, choosing his words carefully.

"Okay, so... just like a happily married couple then, right?"

Sam quirked an eyebrow.

"Maybe, but how will we know for sure if they'll work as subjects? Also, who do we even know that'd go for that?" Sam asked pointedly. Dean thought for a second, then shrugged.

"I don't know. Got any better ideas?"

Sam swiveled around to face Dean.

"The way this thing works is that the two subjects mimic the bonding ritual, going to the same place the original couple went to... and performing the same spell. The Latin gets altered and a detail in the ritual gets changed to make it so the spell is transferring from the original couple to the new subjects. When it's done, the bonding spell cast upon the first couple gets transferred to the subjects and, if it's a redundant spell for the new subjects, it just disappears."

Dean blinked.

"Okay, sounds complicated enough to be real. So who do you nominate?"

Sam looked back down at the book.

"The ritual is a bonding spell... It doesn't say anything here about the type of bond," Sam hinted, looking up at his brother again. Dean shook his head, not getting it. "The couples that're using it right now just happen to be romantically linked," Sam said with a tired wave. He looked back to stare at Dean and waited for it to click.

After a three-count of Dean's dumb eyes, they finally widened.

"You want _us_ to do it?" He asked in disbelief.

Sam shrugged.

"Y-yeah," Sam trailed off helplessly. Dean made a face.

"Wha... Why don't we just get some other siblings to do it then?" Dean whined, annoyed. Sam thought about it.

"We'd still be putting them in potential danger: we've never done this before," Sam reasoned. Another awkward pause before he added, "Plus, do we know any siblings that're..." Sam stopped, rethinking the blunt admission, "...that'd be willing to do this?"

"_I_ don't want to do this," Dean quipped.

"Well neither do I but I think we're kind of the only game in town, Dean," Sam insisted.

"Don't put it like that," Dean replied quickly, disgruntled. Sam smirked.

Dean washed a hand down his face. He looked at his brother wearily.

"You really think it'd work if we did it?" Dean asked genuinely. Sam shrugged and looked back down at the book.

"I'm not going to go into the chick-flick crap it says about bonds in here..."

"Thank you."

"...But yeah. I think we qualify."

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Okay. Worse comes to worse we transfer it onto ourselves, right?"

"Right."

Dean nodded and picked up the gun he'd been cleaning before.

"All right," he murmured, willing to try it out.

So here they were, the romantic location the teens had chosen to carry out a bonding ritual. Sam sighed, rolling his eyes at the thought of those two casting the spell right here out in the open.

Sam turned back around to where the Impala was parked just in time to see Dean close the trunk and start walking up to join his brother at the edge of the cliff. Sam turned back and looked down at the ground where he'd set out the ritual's items. It was relatively simple: a metal bowl, the kids' respective items, salt, a lighter, and he couldn't mess up the Latin but he knew he wouldn't. He felt Dean sidle up alongside him to his right.

"Hey," Dean muttered, jamming his hands in his pockets. No doubt he'd stowed flasks of holy water, packets of salt, a knife, even maybe had a gun on him somewhere even though anything doing them harm through this would likely be incorporeal.

"Hey," Sam responded evenly. He glanced at Dean. "Y'ready?"

Dean sniffed and looked behind him, also quite aware that this location served as a teenaged make-out spot. Dean braced himself and sighed, extending his arms out.

"I'm all yours," Dean replied bitterly. Sam couldn't not smile and Dean let out an exasperated breath. "C'mon."

"Okay okay," Sam agreed, pulling the book up and looked at it with renewed focus. He bent down to kneel and Dean followed him to the ground. Sam took a calming breath and began the Latin. There were two passages he had to recite and when he finished the first, he stopped, ready for the next phase.

"That it?"

"You wish," Sam murmured dryly, pulling out two pendants from his pocket and throwing them in the bowl.

"The pendants the kids gave to each other?" Dean asked lightly and Sam nodded. A gust of wind flew past them while Sam pulled a notepad and permanent marker out of his jacket. He uncapped it with his mouth and, before writing anything, looked up to Dean and nodded at the amulet he knew lay hidden under Dean's t-shirt.

"Take your necklace off," Sam ordered distractedly, smiling inwardly, pen cap still in his mouth, then looked back down to the pad of paper.

"S'not a necklace, dude," Dean groused, moving to take it off. "Why do you want it?"

"Just do it, man," Sam muttered, still not looking at Dean. He'd finished writing on the pad and ripped the page off hastily. Before Dean could see what he'd written, Sam crumpled the paper into a ball before throwing it into the bowl with the pendants. Sam turned to him, expecting Dean would follow suit with the amulet.

Dean watched his brother warily, then gestured to the bowl.

"This isn't fair - you're throwing a worthless piece of paper into the thing but I have to throw the amulet in?"

Sam shrugged and Dean didn't appreciate it. They stared at each other in silence, Dean refusing to relinquish the amulet. A light went on in Sam's head on how to convince his brother.

"Dean, the objects in this bowl," Sam started, about to lay it on thick, "have to be a symbolic representation of the love between-"

"-Oh my _god_," Dean interrupted with a loud shout, "_Fine_!" He yelled, his expression the essence of disgust as he threw the amulet into the bowl. Sam needed his laughter to die down before he started the next part.

Sullen and waiting for Sam to stop being obnoxious, Dean lapsed into wondering why the hell a crumpled up piece of paper would be Sam's symbolic representation of love. Sam coughed, bringing Dean back to the ritual.

"Okay sorry. That was just funny," Sam said good-naturedly, pouring salt over the bowl's contents.

"Hysterical," Dean dead-panned.

"We have to stand up for the next part," Sam murmured as he dusted his hands off and made to stand up. Dean sighed and followed his brother up.

Dean finally looked out at the view over the cliff. It was nice actually. He certainly would've taken a girl or two up here for some good times-

The moment broke when he felt Sam's hand clasp over his.

"Dude," Dean batted Sam's hand away. Sam snorted with laughter while Dean, stepping back a little, shot him the most harassed expression Sam had ever seen. "What the hell?!"

Sam started laughing, gesturing for Dean to come back. At Sam's waves, Dean just stepped back further, alarmed, making Sam laugh harder.

"We need to hold hands for this part," Sam could barely get out, body shaking with mirth. Dean's face was hilarious. Sam set the book down, extending his hand, palm up. "C'mere..."

"No!"

"Seriously, c'mon!"

"_No_! This is gettin' _weird_,man!" Dean stomped a frustrated foot like a child, his voice almost plaintive now.

Sam found this so funny he'd run out of breath so he just started inching closer to Dean, hand outstretched.

"C-C'mon!" He breathed.

"No! _Sam_!" Dean yelled as Sam approached, batting Sam's arm away again.

"HOLD MY HAND!" Sam yelled, laughing so hard he was tearing up. He leapt forward, making a grab for Dean's arm.

"No- dude!" Dean yelled as he grabbed Sam's reaching arm, pulled and twisted him around. Sam went with it easily, his back hitting against Dean's chest so he could elbow Dean in the gut. He heard Dean gasp and felt his arm wrap around Sam's neck tightly, putting him in a chokehold. Sam struggled under his brother's hold.

"Ha ha!" Dean roared, landing Sam onto the ground hard. Sam gasped upon impact, still laughing despite the pain.

"UH!" Sam gasped as Dean's weight came down hard on his chest. Sam dazedly realized Dean had just decided to _sit_ on him. One of those off-limit forms immobilization that their dad had never allowed Dean to do to Sam while they'd trained as kids: it was obviously unfair. Now not so much though and Dean was leaning over Sam, laughing with his mouth open and blowing his nasty-ass breath into Sam's face.

"God, what is that, _garlic_?" Sam coughed, still gasping a laugh here or there when he could get a breath out.

"Salt and vinegar potato chips," Dean informed playfully, catching Sam's writhing attempts to get out from under him. Sam finally relented and went limp, still gasping under Dean's tremendous weight.

"You're... fat," Sam remarked between gasps.

"You're gay," Dean shot back, smiling.

"_You're_..." _gasp_, "gay."

Dean laughed at Sam's difficulty breathing, ignoring Sam's comeback. "And this was like the worst way to come out to me _ever_, Sammy," Dean's eyes glinted with humor. He quirked his head with mock consideration. "Elaborate though."

Sam wrenched an arm free and slapped Dean hard with an open palm across his face. It must've hurt because Dean had shouted a quick, "AH!" before emitting an annoyed groan. Sam burst into pained laughter again; still sounded like he was choking though.

Dean shook his head clear, turning back to face Sam, trying his jaw out.

"Ahh... Did you just bitch slap me?" Dean asked. Sam heaved his breaths, Dean's weight starting to genuinely hurt now.

"Yeah," Sam said dully, trying to quirk a small smile and save face. Dean returned it wryly, shaking his head, and then got off Sam. Sam rolled to his side, taking gulps of air, before he felt Dean grab his arm above the elbow.

"C'mon, Gaylord," Dean murmured, somehow affectionately, as he let Sam take his time getting up. Dean stood by balancing him.

Sam coughed as he got up and stood straight.

"Y'all right?" Dean asked. Sam nodded, swallowed, and looked up at Dean. He tilted his head towards Dean, staring at him pointedly. Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head before grabbing Sam's left hand and pulling him back to the edge of the cliff. Sam chuckled, stumbling a little bit in the process.

When they got back to their positions, standing in front of the bowl, Sam realized they'd switched positions - Dean was to his left now, holding Sam's hand with his right hand. It was the way they'd always done it when they were kids.

Left hands get held; right hands hold and, if Dean had just taken Sam's hand from the outset, Sam would've been the one holding Dean's hand. But the two of them were used to it being the other way around... Dean had just subconsciously affirmed that role. Sam shrugged inwardly about it, not really minding.

"Can I have the book?" Sam asked casually with a sniff. Dean looked around and bent down to get the book Sam had dropped from where he'd been before.

"D'you lose your page?"

"Nah I got it," Sam coughed, finding the passage. "Okay, ready?"

"Yeah, Sam," Dean huffed impatiently, lifting and squeezing Sam's hand harshly in evidence.

"Ow," Sam said blankly, "Okay," he said, prepping himself, then began the second passage of Latin.

* * *

Writer's Note: Second part should be up soon. Thank you so much for reading - please comment/review if you can spare the time! P.S. Hell yeah I titled this fic after Erasure's 1988 single, "Chains of Love." ~ Alex


	2. Chapter 2

Writer's Note: So I said that this fic was only going to be around 5k in my bio, but it's turned out that this is just a very long one-shot, haha. 3rd chapter will likely conclude the story though :)

* * *

The dark blue-grey hue of dusk clouded visibility. Below, the town's street lanterns, porch lights and restaurant interiors glowed bright in the encroaching darkness. Beyond, the ocean looked deep and black. The wind had picked up - blowing easily and gently rustling the trees and brush behind Sam and Dean. They stared out over the serene, quiet landscape, breath-taking in the nascent evening.

Sam had begun to recite the Latin passage. He was careful with his words - to the point of being slow in Dean's opinion - but they weren't sure if they had more than one shot at this so Sam had to do it correctly on the off chance they didn't. Plus, this was a longer passage than the first one so it'd suck if Sam blew it in the beginning.

Dean looked down at the bowl as Sam continued to speak softly. Dean's eyes wandered over to his hand clasping Sams', waiting in vague anticipation. Nothing had happened yet; not even goose bumps. Still, Dean held Sam's hand with a steady, firm grip... Mainly because Sam was unconsciously tightening and loosening his hold on Dean's hand while he recited the Latin. Dean could tell it corresponded with the portions of Latin Sam was having more or less difficulty with. They rarely had to speak Latin beyond the exorcisms they'd already memorized so it'd been awhile since Sam had had to pronounce an unknown Latin text. Sam was nervous but Dean was listening in: while Sammy's speech wasn't as fluid as it normally was, he was still nailing every word. Dean had every confidence in him and honestly even if Sam screwed it up, they'd just deal with it. They'd handled a lot worse than a messed up bonding speech... he hoped. In any event, he kept his hold engaged, strong enough to reassure; loose enough to feel comfortable.

Dean looked to Sam with concern as he felt Sam's hand moving up, inching its way to grasp his forearm and holding on tighter. Dean mimicked Sam's movements, taking a couple steps closer. Dean idly noticed he felt better with this than when they'd been holding hands. They were closer to one another and touching each other more but... there was just something about _holding hands_.

Sam didn't notice Dean monitoring him; he just continued with the passage. Nothing seemed wrong with him exactly - he was still speaking calmly and holding it together. Dean was pretty sure he was unaware that they'd altered the handhold; equally unaware that he was grasping Dean with greater strength now.

Dean squinted in the dark. Sam's face was beginning to bear edges as he spoke, his words coming out faster and sharper than before, his jaw setting and clenching with determination while he spoke.

"Sammy..." Dean whispered, "still with me?" he checked, scrutinizing his brother's bearing.

Sam didn't respond. The spell was taking hold - taking energy out of him - but Sam was rolling with the punches, still performing quite well.

What was happening here - this whole 'spell-takes-Sam-over' thing - was supposed to happen and, according to Sam, generally always happened while casting spells of this nature. It still made Dean anxious. He hated witchcraft and while this thing didn't require any disgusting ingredients like ancient dead baby bones he didn't appreciate seeing his little brother under the throes of _any_ spell.

Beads of sweat were rolling down his brother's face now. When Dean glanced over, he saw the book shaking in his hand.

Dean's brows furrowed when Sam's hand grabbed Dean tighter again, his fingers kneading at Dean's arm as if he wasn't getting enough contact.

"Sammy-" Dean whispered, unnerved, then stopped as he looked down at their arms. His expression turned to blunt alarm at the sight. "Shit," he murmured, unconsciously tugging Sam closer. Sam jerked, stumbling closer to Dean but he didn't stop staring at the book, reading Latin with wide, dilated eyes.

Sam's eyes were the least of Dean's worries now though. Not when semi-translucent reddish metallic bindings were slowly appearing around their arms. The binds were a rosy pearl color, webbing and reflecting off what light was left in the dark. Dean watched, mouth agape, as the binds became more opaque as the spell went on. They were twisted around their fingers and extended all the way up to their elbows.

Dean could feel Sam's entire body start to tremble through his arm, his little brother's voice increasing in volume as he approached the apex of the spell's power.

"Sammy," Dean called, his fear and worry growing. The bonds started to appear all over their bodies, criss-crossing around their chests, their necks, their legs and arms. The binds were thicker around their torsos than their extremities but the ones wrapped around their connected arms were so thick and so many that they'd begun to almost glow.

Dean felt nothing: no pain, no discomfort. Sam was just chanting louder, grasping onto Dean and holding the book, knuckles white.

"Sam, Sammy, let's stop-" Dean almost pleaded. This was not how Sam said this would go down. They needed to go back and figure this out: make sure they weren't putting themselves in danger by doing this because _damn it..._ this looked freaky.

Dean never pegged himself as claustrophobic but reconsidered the phobia: seeing every inch of his body bound by rosy-red glowing ropes and strings, even if he couldn't feel even the slightest bit of pressure from them, was at best unsettling and at worst absolutely terrifying.

"Okay c'mon Sam, we should stop," Dean ruled. He stepped around to face Sam and reached his free hand out to his brother's shoulder to snap him out of it. He froze when Sam suddenly stopped speaking, the Latin passage finished. Sam's whole body relaxed, his posture slumping as he took deep gulps of air, breathing like he'd just run a marathon. He let the book drop from his limp hand to the ground with a heavy thump.

"Sammy-?" Dean asked solicitously, resuming the move to touch Sam's shoulder.

"NO!" Sam startled, jerking away, not allowing Dean to touch him.

"Whoa whoa what is it?" Dean backed off, raising his palm up in front of Sam. Sam blinked a few times and looked at his brother, then down at his binds.

"Uhh," he hummed dully, studying them, seeing them for the first time, "whoa."

"Yeah 'whoa' dumb ass," Dean shot back testily while Sam lifted both their arms, examining the binds that wrapped around them. Dean's attitude shifted as he took in Sam's appearance. The spell had released him - Little Brother was in control again - but now he looked even more pale, exhausted... sick.

"Sam, are you okay?" Dean asked quietly, approaching his brother again. Sam looked up and backed away again.

"Yeah-yeah fine, just - don't touch me," he murmured, "you need that hand."

"What?"

Sam gave a small smile and shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Um... So if you touch me, you'll... ah... get caught in the binds," Sam breathed, washing a hand down his face, wiping sweat off.

"Wait, what? No-" Dean said just as he tried to wrench his hand off Sam's arm.

Sam screamed in pain, clutching his chest, as he stumbled in the direction Dean had just pulled.

"SAM!" Dean yelled, immediately stopping at the sound. The echo of Sam's cry came back to them from the forest behind them as Sam collapsed to the ground, panting and wheezing. Their arms remained clasped and connected by the pearly binds.

"Sam, Sammy?!" Dean begged, bending down and reaching out to his brother. Their binds were a vibrant, glistening metallic cherry red. Sam was gaunt, the glowing string-like binds circling his face and lighting up the dark smudges beneath his eyes. "What is it?! Is it the spell?!" Dean yelled, grabbing Sam's shoulder. Sam jerked back too late and Dean made contact. Shots of red ropes plastered themselves all over the connection between Dean's hand and Sam's shoulders. Dean watched it in horror; Sam in disappointment.

"Fuck," Sam groaned, trailing off, careful to keep his own right hand free from Dean now.

"Sammy, _what_?" Dean asked, casually pulling his hand off Sam's shoulder.

Again, Sam cried out in pain.

"Come back! Come back!" Sam screamed, unable to articulate more. He was tearing up, his hand frantically thumping against his chest; his heart.

The light went on in Dean's head and Dean stopped pulling away. The binds' tension now gone, Sam was released and relaxed with a quiet, miserable moan, and lurched forward on his hand and knees. He inhaled breath after breath, recovering.

Dean went to kneel on the ground in front of Sam. Sensing his brother, Sam gave a cough and glanced up.

"God _damn_ you! S'_you_, you idiot!" Sam grunted angrily.

"Yeah just got that," Dean whispered, "sorry," he added roughly, giving Sam's arm a conciliatory squeeze for emphasis. Sam shook his head a little bit.

"Sammy-?" Dean asked weakly.

"Nah it's okay. Here," Sam muttered bitterly.

Dean felt a sharp tug. His eyesight burst to flashing lights as his heart rate sped up so fast that it felt like it was going to burst. Like a billion volts of electricity or a hundred adrenaline shots.

Dean vaguely heard a scream, realized it was his, and then _bam_ he was on his side on the ground gasping for breath, one hand on Sam's shoulder, the other clutched to his forearm. Sam had been pulled to the ground with him; they were lying on their sides facing each other, still connected by the brilliantly glowing binds.

"OW!" Dean yelled, pissed off. "What the hell-" Dean stopped, having blinked up at Sam to see the kid was actually chuckling dryly on the ground in front of him.

"You're an asshole," Dean stated.

"Yeah well," Sam sighed, smiling weakly, "you just did it to me twice just now."

"Okay no more pulling away from each other."

"Okay."

The two of them took a few seconds to recoup, focusing on their breathing and trying to relax despite the bindings circling around them. Sam closed his eyes and sighed.

"That was really painful," Dean murmured offhandedly. Sam snorted.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"So what... is this?" Dean asked. Sam swallowed with a cringe before answering.

"It's us," he replied simply. He kept his eyes closed.

"Funny."

"No, like, it's really us. It's our bond. I..." Sam coughed, "I didn't know it would physically manifest itself," Sam explained, slurring his words a little, "but it's not that surprising. Makes sense, even."

"Wait, we haven't even started the transfer?" Dean's eyes drilled into Sam's as his little brother shook his head.

"We gotta light up the bowl. You're stuck on me but I still have..." Sam reached out, grimacing and rasping his last words, "-one hand free."

Sam started to get up to look for the lighter and Dean paid attention, shuffling on his knees and facing Sam, trying to make sure neither of them would be pulling away from the other. Dean was right in front of him, one hand glued to his shoulder and the other to his arm. Sam was having difficulty searching for the lighter as a result, shifting around in an effort to see past Dean and at the ground.

"This is like an evil game of mirrors," Dean muttered, cooperating and mimicking Sam's movements so they wouldn't hurt each other.

"I hated that game," Sam said absently. He spotted the lighter and moved to pick it up. Dean went with him.

"Really?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah, you'd-" Sam backed Dean up and angled him to his side in a smooth dance that neither wanted to acknowledge, "-always just end up leading," he finished. He started flicking the lighter over the metal bowl. It wouldn't light.

"Really?" Dean asked, continuing the banter for the sake of avoiding their awkward predicament.

"Yep," Sam replied lightly, "it was more like a mini 'Follow the Leader' game," he added, his tone turning to frustration as the lighter still wasn't catching. Dean chuckled in front of him.

"So _that's_ why you sucked at it," Dean quipped. Sam gave a quiet laugh.

"Or maybe you're a shitty leader," Sam retorted.

"I'm a great leader," Dean mumbled, twisting to watch Sam's attempts to light the bowl.

"Uh huh."

Dean sighed, remaining silent while Sam flicked the thing a few times in a row to no avail.

"Any time now would be good, Sam," he snarked impatiently.

"I know I know - I think it got wet in the grass or something," Sam murmured.

"Rub it against your shirt."

Sam nodded lightly and wiped the lighter down on his shirt, then examined the fluid compartment inside the cheap Bic lighter. He upended it and set it back so the Butane would pool in the right side.

"'Kay let's see..." Sam muttered, lifting it over the bowl and flicking it. Nothing.

"Shit," Dean sighed. "The wheel's not broken, is it?"

"Wheel's fine; just needs to dry out."

"So we wait?"

Sam's turn to sigh. He shook his head and shrugged.

"I guess-?"

They both frowned, unable to appreciate the humor of their situation.

"How long?" - _do I have to continue touching you out here?_

"I don't know Dean just deal with it okay?" Sam snapped, equally miffed.

Without the use of his hands, Dean just toggled his head and sneered at his brother's attitude.

"Don't be a bitch, Sammy."

Sam whipped his head to face Dean's.

"I'm not-" Sam yelled, then capped his anger, "being a bitch," he finished evenly.

Dean smirked.

"You're a jerk," Sam mumbled. Dean's smirk turned to a grin. He sighed and rearranged his position, sitting on the ground with crossed legs. Sam followed suit. Dean looked around the area idly, noting that they were lucky that so far no one had driven up here to _get_ lucky. He relaxed, having nothing more to do right then but to wait for the lighter to dry. His mind started wandering and when it landed, Dean was psyched that the person that could answer his burning question was literally unable to get away from him right now.

"Hey Sam?" Dean whispered at his brother's face. Sam's eyebrows arched as he blinked at Dean expectantly. "What'd the uh... what'd the piece of paper say?" Dean asked, sporting a wry smile. Whatever it was, Dean didn't think he'd let Sam live it down... ever.

Sam twitched and gave Dean a furtive glance before trying the lighter again.

"I'd rather you not know," he murmured darkly and Dean smiled, relishing his brother's reluctance. This must be good.

"C'mon, that's not fair. You know mine's the amulet so what's yours, man?" Dean feigned hurt and tilted his head into Sam's view of the lighter. For ordinary mortals it would've been impossible to ignore Dean, especially since his face was like only a foot or two away. Sam had had training though and managed to ignore the shit out of his brother... which only served to _irritate_ the shit out of his brother. But before he got pissed, Dean realized he had leverage.

"Sammy," Dean hummed tauntingly, "swear to God I'm gonna pull away if you don't tell me," Dean threatened breezily.

"You're an asshole," Sam dead-panned and Dean laughed.

"C'mon, Sam-"

"Got it!" Sam yelled right before he lowered the lighter into the bowl.

* * *

Writer's EndNote 1: Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment or review if you can spare a minute!

Writer's EndNote 2: I want to give credit to the fic that kind of paved the way/inspired this fic: Illusions by Kyriebess. Seriously it's fantastic. Go read it.


	3. Chapter 3

A blast erupted right behind Dean and knocked the two of them to the ground again.

Then nothing: Sam could only hear his own breath and that of his brothers', panting as they were still stuck together, and waiting for something to happen.

Their breathing returned to normal and they loosened their grips on one another even though the binds were still clearly visible, striping across their bodies, concentrating around where they touched.

The silence was unnerving; if that hadn't done anything... and it was supposed to end the spell, how long exactly were they going to be stuck together like this?

"Uh, Sam," Dean asked, uncertain. "You sure you got this right?"

"Yeah," Sam grunted against his brother. They shuffled back to sitting positions. Their binds gleamed as bright as ever.

"You sure, dude, because nothing's happening."

Sam swallowed and nodded, looking around in the dark nervously. Dean gave a light squeeze to Sam's arm.

"Maybe it'll wear off," Dean offered hopefully, watching his agitated brother. Sam made eye contact with Dean, his eyes dark with anxiety.

"I doubt it, Dean," he said, "our binds aren't supposed to just... go away," Sam mumbled. He bit his lip, looking out at the horizon over Dean's shoulder. "Our bond's..." he trailed off, trying to write it off as distracted but Dean was interested.

"Our bond's what?"

Sam twitched uncomfortably and glanced at Dean. Unable to say it with direct eye contact he sighed and turned to look into the treeline behind him.

"S'too strong. Or like... It should be."

"Maybe one of us doesn't like the other as much," Dean quipped. A second passed.

"You," they chimed together teasingly and let it go. The breeze shifted and Dean sighed.

"My arms are getting tired," Dean complained.

"Shut up," Sam said distractedly.

"What're you even looking for?"

Sam remained silent, vigilantly turning and twisting around to see around them as night fell. Wind blew through the trees, along the cliff's edge and over Sam and Dean as they sat on the ground. Dean sighed dramatically.

"So how 'bout them Bears?" He asked with a smirk. Sam glanced at his brother and huffed a laugh.

A second later Sam's eyes went wide as he caught sight of something in the sky behind Dean. His hand re-gripping Dean's in a death hold as he stared.

"Sammy? What is it?" Dean asked urgently, unconsciously returning Sam's grip.

"I.. I think it's the bond..." Sam murmured in awe, watching the streaks of blue light coming their way from the town's direction.

"Whose bond? _Our_ bond?" Dean demanded. Sam gulped and shook his head, watching the display coming closer and closer from the northeast quadrant of town. He stared at it, struck how incredibly different the bonds looked.

So far, Sam had only seen his and Dean's bond manifested and so he'd just assumed all bonds looked the same but where his and Dean's were like sturdy, flexible ropes of warm red light, these bonds were like static electricity, uneven, fluctuating, constantly in movement. Their color too: a chilling, icy blue. Sam and Dean's glowed and radiated a comfortable heat. Their bonds were obviously strong and durable but they also only gave off a slight gentle pressure against Sam and Dean: in truth neither of them had felt very threatened by the thing. If either of them felt like admitting it, there really was something calming and relaxed about the bonds that wrapped them.

Sam had figured it was simply the nature of bonds in general but he was fast realizing that it'd just been the nature of _their_ bonds. _These_ bonds, the bonds Sam was eyeing right now as they darted through the air, haphazardly spurting in one direction or another as if in mistake and getting derailed before pulling their full weight forward towards the brothers again, _these_ bonds sparked and fizzled and cracked loudly. This was the first time Sam had heard bonds make a sound: Sam and Dean's were completely still and silent.

Sam bristled under Dean's arms as the thing rushed its way to them, looking sloppy but dangerous. It was like lightning caught inside itself, tendrils of briliiant blue energy and electricity igniting, twisting, clashing, then draining. It was an unpredictable, intense mess that could damage - maybe electrocute - the two of them if the bonds targeted them.

"The kids' bonds? S'it coming?"Dean prompted roughly, trying to turn around to see. He turned back to see Sam swallow, his eyes scared yet still mesmerized by the bonds lashing out with the razor sharp cracks of electricity as licks of fire would slice the air then disappear back into the frightening jagged, edged ball.

"Y-yeah, Dean," Sam murmured, grabbing hold of the arm Dean had been keeping on his shoulder, his eyes filling with dread and his posture tensing up as the thing kept coming closer and closer. He had no idea how they were going to beat this thing. He hadn't realized it until now but as it came closer, Sam was finding out how huge this thing was. Like a whirlwind of blue energy just plowing through the air, swirling inside itself and generating more charge and power that Sam knew would aim straight for _them_.

Breathing heavily, his eyes already wide and his pupils already blown, Sam looked down at their now measly-looking bonds and wondered how the hell two _teenagers_ could ramp up this kind of bond when two _brothers_ couldn't.

"Sam... what?" Dean asked harshly. "What's wrong?" Dean shook Sam to get him to answer.

"Um, uh..." Sam looked at his brother, worried, and Dean's expression mimicked his. He glanced over Dean's shoulder to see the thing was within half a mile of them. "It's... It's coming really fast, Dean..." Sam warned, his voice trembling.

It was as if the thing had heard Sam; right after he spoke, the thing took on a whole new level of speed and zoomed at them before Sam could even blink. Sam gasped and braced for it, gripping Dean tight as it swooped and charged.

"Dean!" Sam shouted. He felt Dean jump forward and barrel into Sam, landing him on his back. Dean pressed against him as cover.

"Dean no!" Sam struggled briefly, trying to stop what Dean was doing. It wasn't time to protect him: they were in this together and _damn_ it, Dean didn't get to do this anymore! Sam would be damned if he'd let Dean take the hit from those bonds head-on.

It was a fleeting, failed sentiment just before the thing rammed into them. Sam had tried to angle them to the side but Dean just held onto Sam tighter, moving his hands around Sam's back and up to the back of his neck and with _that_ tone, yelled, "Sam stop it _now_!"

Sam, conditioned, automatically obeyed and regretted it instantly when the bond tore through them. Blinding pain, like freezing shards of glass peeling his skin back and pushing sharply between the two of them... but by the sounds of Dean's anguished yells above, Dean was getting a worse dose of the cold burning stabs and rips of pain that filtered through to Sam. Sam trembled and got worse, his body wracked with shakes as an indefinable sense of insecurity kept flashing in and out through him.

And then it was gone and Sam felt used and numb, almost unable to feel Dean over him. He was sweating, breathing heavily and trying to manage the pain but when he opened his eyes he saw Dean was in worse shape: his face ashen, his eyes still closed. Sam was pretty sure his brother's dark lips indicated blood - probably bit his tongue by accident during the attack.

The numb was cold and Sam still shook... Dean felt it too - Sam couldn't exactly feel his brother anymore but he could _see_ Dean was struggling just as much as he was. They both felt unanchored and empty after the attack. Disconnected, worthless and lost.

Sam blinked and looked around twitchily. Their bond had gotten much, much dimmer.

Sam looked up into Dean's eyes, scared.

"Dean..." Sam said weakly, moving his hands up to Dean's shoulders, awkwardly inviting a hug if Dean would have it.

"What?" Dean rasped, hovering over him. Sam vaguely noted that the attack had forced them apart - forced them to disconnect. Dean's breath ragged, the numbness was starting to recede and he felt his little brother's arms move up to his shoulders. He was too tired to care or push away. He was trembling himself, trying to pull himself together from the shock and pain of the attack still.

"Um," Sam hedged, placing more pressure on Dean's shoulder and feeling awkward, "our bond's dim... dimmer... after the, uh, attack," he hinted, hoping Dean would get it.

"Mmhm," Dean hum-grunted, a new sharp pain of some sort getting him in the side and making him cringe. "Okay."

Sam squeezed Dean's shoulders again and when Dean looked into his eyes to silently ask what was up, he read Sam's pleading, worried eyes.

Dean winced and rolled his own. Sam shrugged under him. _Sorry but there's no other way, Dean_. Dean sighed.

"Okay," he whispered, leaning down and Sam got the rest of his arms around Dean's back. "We tell," Dean got a good grip under his little brother on the ground and Sam tucked his head into Dean's neck, "no one," Dean finished. He felt his little brother nod quietly against his neck.

"Okay on one- two- three," Dean counted like what he'd done when they'd been children and Dean would pick Sam up. This time wasn't as difficult: Sam was helping but he still stayed in place against Dean as Dean pulled him up. When they'd gotten to sitting positions, they didn't break apart and Sam's hold on Dean tightened, hugging him closer.

"Sam-" Dean huffed, uncomfortable. The two of them were shaking but not as hard as before. Still, Sam clung to Dean.

"Shut up it's making our bonds brighter," Sam interrupted, watching with his chin tilted against the back of Dean's gross, sweaty neck and seeing the bonds around his big brother's back glow brighter than they'd been before.

Their bindings now lighting them up like a friggin Christmas tree, Dean heaved a sigh and settled against Sam, letting his little brother hug him and absently returning pressure when he could manage to swallow the embarrassment for a fleeting second or two. As the bonds grew brighter, Sam felt better; the insecurity draining out of him and he felt more like... himself again. The bonds grew heavier and pulsed rhythmically - almost alive but it still felt reassuring somehow.

Dean was recuperating, feeling better to the extent that he was actually starting to feel sleepy. Perhaps Sam was too young for it but Dean had every memory intact of when Sam was a bundle of exhausted, snoring warmth on his chest under blankets in the backseat of the Impala while the engine rumbled softly and dim-yellow streetlights shafted in and out. They were all elements of Dean Winchester's lullaby since he'd been four years old but Sam's safe presence had maybe been the crux to them all...

"Are you looking behind me?" Sam asked dully, his cheek smooshed against Dean's back.

Dean blinked, his eyes having fallen to half-mast at some point. His pupils rolled around until they fixed on something behind Sam. The two of them had managed to sync calm heart beats at some point but with Sam's question and Dean's slight turn of the head to look up, his heart beat picked up pace with a surge of adrenaline.

"Holy shit what the fuck's _that_?!" Dean shouted, unconsciously grabbing Sam closer at the sight of the bonds.

_"_It's what attacked us-_"_

"What is it?! Why?!" Dean yelled, furious. Sam shook his head.

"They're the bonds but... I... I don't know!" Sam answered helplessly.

"It's coming back-it's coming back," Dean warned anxiously, instinctively pulling Sam to the side.

"DE-!" Sam called, immediately kicking out and managing to stop Dean from covering him again. His yells were cut short when a sharp jolt of electricity ran straight through their hearts. They gasped for air, suffocating, their bodies shuddering from the trauma.

Not even knowing,, they clutched one another closer, having unconsciously discovered they could move points of shared contact as long as they didn't disconnect.

Another jolt shocked through their systems and they held on tight to each other, hugging on the ground, doing their best to synchronize regular heart beats even though neither of them had anything of the sort.

"God, Dean!" Sam moaned.

"It's okay! It's okay!" Dean replied loudly, almost angrily, as he held Sam tighter. "H-hold...on, Sammy," Dean stuttered, the sheer torture affecting him.

Another attack slammed into them and Sam cried out, unable to keep it in anymore. Dean grabbed him around his back and moved his hand to hold the back of Sam's head. Sam squeezed into Dean's body, pushed his head against the crook of Dean's neck and gasped for air. The two of them were shaking but Sam was worse off now. He gave a small sob and Dean tried to reassure him as best he could through the pain.

"S-s'okay, Sammy... I g-got you..." He muttered weakly into Sam's ear. Sam pawed at Dean's back desperately. "I'm ri-right here, right here, lil brother," Dean promised, starting to rock them.

"I don't know how much more I can take, Dean," Sam pleaded, tears slipping down past his temples and into his hair.

Dean gripped Sam tighter, making him grunt with pain just as another slash of electricity bolted through them. Sam wheezed his scream and Dean couldn't help but let out a growled whine of suffering. It left as quick as it came and the two of them remained, still alive and struggling to get past whatever this was.

"This... gonna just keep going... 'til we're dead?" Dean asked haltingly, getting his words out on fast, difficult exhales.

"I-It shh...shouldn'... workliketha'," Sam replied breathlessly, fisting Dean's shirt in the back with frustration. He swore he hadn't read anything like this - nothing had warned them that anything like this would happen.

"Well 'm kinda sick 'a playin' Red Rover, Sammy, you got any ideas for me?" Dean whispered. Sam gasped a sob back to look at Dean, perplexed.

"Wh...what?" Sam choked.

"What?"

Suddenly a burst of electricity shot through them once again leaning them breathless and holding onto each other for dear life. Sam coughed into Dean's chest. Dean was shaking badly now, struggling to keep Sam against him as Sam had lost the strength to hold onto him as tightly as they needed to be for this.

"Red Rover," Sam murmured, "It's... trying to break through... So it can replace _our_ bond!" Sam gasped, finally understanding. A flush of adrenaline flashed through Sam as he connected with Dean again and giving him a genuine hug in the midst of their desperation. "Dean, you're a genius," he coughed into Dean's shoulder.

"Sammy," Dean murmured, flattered but also impatient. If Sam could maybe stow the chick flick shit until... _always..._ that'd be great. Especially after this. Sam ignored his brother and strained his neck to see around Dean - past him and over at the bowl. It had long since extinguished flames, Sam and Dean's tokens had to still be in there.

"We gotta get your amulet and my thing of paper!" Sam yelled.

"How?!"

"Roll!" Sam shouted back. Dean rolled Sam and managed to dodge an attack from the fire-blue bonds that circled around them threateningly, waiting for their next best shot to attack the brothers' bonds. Sam landed against the bowl, knocking it over and turning its contents onto the ground.

"D'you get it?" Dean called, unable to see what was happening but still holding on.

"Yeah you have to get the piece of paper I wrote on! It's like above my shoulder there!" Sam huffed and nodded over his right shoulder. Dean squinted to see the paper but realized it had barely burnt; the edges only just slightly charred.

"Y'got my amulet?" Dean checked while he reached to grab the paper as fast as possible.

"Yeah-Ah! " Sam called out, a sharp twinge piercing the brothers were Dean was able to remove his hand from Sam. He got it back fast with the paper in hand and they were fine again. Sam had been rubbing his thumb against the face of Dean's amulet over and over again; when Dean had nabbed the piece of paper, their binds soundlessly increased in brilliance, nearly blinding with the warm pearly glow it'd started out with.

"Wow," Dean breathed, watching with widening eyes the steady beat of their binds strengthening in time with his brother's and his own heart beats. "Is that it?" He asked, thinking this was for sure what Sam had wanted to happen when he'd instructed them to grab their items.

After a beat or two of silence, Dean turned his full attention to Sam.

"Sam? Sammy?" He nudged his brother's limp body. "_Sammy?"_ Dean shook him harshly and Sam's eyes slit open and weaved slowly around to Dean's face.

"Sam! Wake up!" Dean ordered.

"What?" Sam whispered breathlessly.

"What the hell? Is that it?" Dean asked anxiously, looking up and watching the blue fire coming nearer, readying for another attack. Sam coughed and swallowed in Dean's arms.

"Um, d'you look...look at the..." Sam started shaking, wracked with coughs.

"Sam, Sam, Sammy okay-okay-okay c'mon dude," Dean whispered, his anger and desperation instantly transforming to dedicated fear for his brother. "Take it easy c'mon," he whispered and felt Sam nod against his neck. "What do I have to do? Tell me, c'mon," he begged, "c'mon Sammy."

"Ya..hafta.. look," Sam rasped before closing his eyes again. Dean gave Sam a face that clearly meant he didn't understand...

...Until he did.

"Shit shit shit okay," Dean used the one hand he had wrapped around the paper to unravel it and see what Sam had written.

In Sam's messy scrawl was one word - one name. The name Sam always said he hated yet the one name only one person in the world was ever allowed to use on him. _Sammy_.

Dean smiled and held his baby brother closer as the binds warmed up to a blinding level of light. It seemed like they were in the middle of an explosion only like the most comfortable, relaxing explosion Dean could ever claim.

It lasted a minute, maybe two. Dean felt Sam writhing under his hold and loosened his grip to let Sam get comfortable in his arms.

"The hell," Sam murmured, his voice sounding more solid than it had since they'd started this whole mess. Their binds were expanding, shielding the two of them under a dome of bright, warm red light. Dean continued holding Sam as he watched the spectacle, having lost the faculties to feel much beyond his relief and vital need to just... _know_ that his kid brother was better. Sam for his part never initiated or held hugs for longer than they needed to be but it was also pretty ingrained in him to never withdraw.

The two of them watched as the threatening, unpredictable ball of electricity and energy bashed into the shield created by their own binds. Sam gasped just as Dean squeezed Sam closer at the sight.

"Whoa," Dean said in an undertone, watching the magnificent shield absorb some of it as the ball slammed into the shield again, frantically trying to get in and take over. Stunned, Sam and Dean watched as the thing that'd looked so terrifying slowly diminished in the face of their shield until it was the size of a foot ball, crackling and fizzling out at its center.

With one last push into the pearly-red shield, it disappeared; the shield absorbing the impact and incorporating it inside.

The gently breathing dome remained for only a moment longer, allowing Sam and Dean last glimpses of their bond manifested before it silently, smoothly imploded back into the ropes wrapped around the brothers. Slowly, the binds disappeared from around their bodies. Shocked and breathless, Sam and Dean sat holding each other on the ground cliff side under a bright moon in the cool night air and steady coastal breeze of this quaint, idyllic New England town.

* * *

**Writer's Note:** Hey! This is pretty much the end of the story. It's likely I'll do something of an epilogue as an excuse to write goofy brotherly banter though, haha. Thank you so much for reading! Please comment/review if you can spare the time!


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